She'd only seen that look of betrayal once before. Strangely enough, it came from Hutchins as he was dying. Even as his lifeblood was leaking onto the cold, marble floors he'd known it was her. Little Princess Harumi, who he'd tended to as his own child since her arrival nearly ten years previous. Likewise, Harumi had known he'd known. She couldn't take his pathetic mouth gaping like a fish out of water, his eyes going dim with the realization of her betrayal. She'd stabbed him until that look in his eyes faded with him.

     In that moment, as the dagger squelched through flesh, she'd seen the cups of hot cocoa, the sweet-smelling flowers, the reassuring pats when the Katsukis decided she wasn't worth their attention anymore. Hutchins would even try to sing to her before she went to sleep, but his lullabies always sounded creepy when combined with his tone-deaf voice. He was the only one who had cared about her as a person, and she was killing him. Why?

     Justice, Harumi's mind had told her, commanding the dagger to be stabbed down again and again. The Katsukis made you suffer, so now it's their turn.

     It had taken Harumi nearly six months to stop smelling the iron tang of blood in the air everywhere she went, and even longer than that to get Hutchins' haunted look out of her eyes. But she could still hear the squelches of pierced flesh, and the blood on her dress never did wash out.

     It was the same look Kai gave her when he was dragged into the room by at least twenty Sons of Garmadon, as they stripped him of his suit to take away all of his hidden weapons. When he'd seen her in the middle of the room, with a tied-up Lloyd behind her, his face had gone slack with shock. Lloyd started screaming behind his gag, but Ru kicked the chair to shut him up. That was the moment Kai let out a cry of anguish, thrashing as he tried to break free of his captors.

     And Ru had just stared at Kai. He was once a Ninja, but now he was a half-naked prisoner.

     It didn't take long for the other Ninja to fall into the same trap. Nya came after her brother first as a grey-clad figure, alongside Ice and the black-robed ninja. They attempted to sneak in through the air vents and attack with force, but they were only able to kill ten members before they too were stripped of their weapons and tied up.

     The ninja suits were gathered and inspected by Violet, who instructed the white-haired man to burn them in case the Ninja had installed trackers in them. Killow took it upon himself to start loudly talking about all the ways they were going to torture the Ninja.

     Ru nearly blanched when he mentioned amputation, but she kept her head high. The Ninja killed her parents, along with several other innocent prisoners. Being dismembered was the least of the punishment that they deserved. It didn't stop her from wanting to jump in front of Kai when Killow stuck the first blow, though.

     Lloyd was full on sobbing, the gag causing him to hiccup as he had to watch his heroes and guardians being beaten by a scary mob. Harumi, unable to bear it anymore, moved to remove the scrap of fabric from his face. But Lloyd screamed when she came near, furiously shaking his head as if he didn't want her anywhere near him.

     A cold numbness spread over Harumi, as the effect of her actions set in.

     "Violet," she said blankly, "I'll take my money now."

     Killow momentarily paused, and he and Violet cackled in unison.

     "Do you really think we have the money?" Killow said in his deep voice. "We run a motorbike shop for a living in the dregs of Ninjago. You've got us the Ninja. Just be glad you're leaving with your head."

    "I kidnapped an innocent child for this—"

     Violet unsheathed a pike, pacing around Ru with a sadistic grin. "Keep complaining, and you'll join the Ninja over on the torture rack. Now get out before we make you get out."

     Harumi squared her shoulders, attempting to block the muffled grunts of the beaten Ninja from her mind. She would not cower to an insane woman.

     "Very well," Harumi spat, "it was nice doing business with you."

     But the minute she was out of their sight, Ru's shoulders crumpled. Her face fell, and angry tears stung her eyes. She could still hear the squelch of a dagger hitting flesh, but now it was joined with a cry of anguish. Less than a week ago they'd held hands, watching over a child like it was their own. Now she'd kidnapped the child, leaving him in the hands of a vicious, out of control gang. And Kai was being beaten for looking out for his ward.

     If you think you can fix this then... then I trust you. You haven't stabbed me in the back yet.

     She had been Ro's last hope for survival. Sure, she'd probably just guaranteed that he'd be able to keep his other jobs, but if the Sons of Garmadon went back on the first half of the deal, why would they stay true to the second? Now, she'd turned in her only source of empathy for absolutely nothing. She and Ro had no money. It'd take less than a week for them to run out of food, and less than a month for the landlord to kick them out of their apartment. They'd become homeless, starving, dead.

     Ro had given Harumi everything, even when he didn't have to.

     And she'd ruined his one chance at getting out of a life he so miserably hated.

     Harumi stopped in the front of the biker shop, staring at the dark streets outside. She didn't want to go home and face him. She didn't want to go home only to know that her life was a ticking time bomb. If only there could have been way to get Ro another job, or steal the SoG's register money, or...

     An idea popped into her head, so terrible Harumi nearly retched just thinking about it.

     But it would work.

     She'd seen it on all the "Wanted" posters. The reward money on bringing her in alive was fantastic. If she brought the authorities in, she could get the Sons of Garmadon arrested for trying to double cross her, and Ro could get the award money. It was enough to get him out of the docks, out of the dregs, out of this terrible life.

     Sure, the Ninja would be freed, but they'd probably be disfigured or dead by then.

     Hands trembling, Harumi picked up the shop's phone and dialed the number she'd memorized from seeing so many times.

     She didn't want to do this. But she had to. It was all for Ro, the boy who'd given her a year of freedom. Sure, she didn't know a lot about him. However, she knew, deep down, he was one of the greatest things to happen to her life. He rescued her from dying that first night. He deserved the world for the life he'd given her the past year.

     If she could get Ro out of the dregs, everything would be worth it.

     Even a lifetime of unhappiness.

     "Ninjago Police, what's your emergency?"

     "Hello," Ru's voice trembled. She took a deep breath, and the next time she spoke, her voice was strong. "I've found the lost princess."